Things I learned this Summer ! Plus …Kickin’ butt on the web!

So what did I learn the past summer in the Hamptons? TONS… let me share with you a few of the things.

1) Free internet exists on the Long Island Expressway! All you have to do is drive the two hours behind the Jitney and your Zip Car is now an office on wheels! Send e mails… do research and look at actor Mark Feurstein (They guy from Royal Pains- I don’t know him either) for the entire two hours! Thank you Hampton Jitney and please only use this service when your a passenger!!! DID I REALLY NEED TO SAY THAT!? YEP! Speaking of which…

2) You must assume every driver during the summer is texting while driving. I’ve seen more Range Rovers plow through cross walks this summer than ever before. I’m surprised more people weren’t killed this summer all because someone had to tell their girlfriend they were “LOL”-ing!

3) Jodi Della Famina ruined every single back of the road “short cut” in the Hamptons! Traffic now get’s backed up on Scuttle Hole Road on a TUESDAY!! #$****$#!!

4) Thursday is the new Friday and Monday is the new Sunday. How come when I worked in the city, I had to work every Friday and Monday? (Insert working at Roy Rogers joke here) What do these people do for a living? I mean is everyone a trust funder??!

5) There’s a new word in the Hamptons vocabulary. It’s called Madoffreude! It’s kind of like Schadenfreude .. you know where people derive pleasure from the misfortunes of others. Madoffreude is taking great pleasure in the fact that someone you know of got ripped off by Bernie Madoff.

Wasn’t it just a great summer!?

Finally a little bragging about where I work. I’m a little biased yes, but Prudential Dougals Elliman just launched it’s new $1,000,000+ web site this week and wow!! What am I talking about ?!?!? It’s a cross between facebook and cracK…the equivelent of real estate narcotics.. totally addicting! The full screen images, the tracking of listings and the fact that it also has the listings from PDE and other companies as well really makes this a game changer! So if you’re thinking about searching for a property on say the UPPER WEST SIDE or Soho.. why go to 4 or 5 different websites you can look on just one! Cool huh!? Go to www.elliman.com and register on the site to get updates about new listings that fit your criteria. You may want to pick an agent’s name when you register… AHEM… or not… either way go to site and check it out!

If only they could have saved Mr. Ed from his humiliating fate on TV! Plus Ponzi is the key word in real estate!

It’s about the horses… insert Madonna joke here! This Saturday The Amaryllis Horse Rescue is hosting a Country Fair to benefit their horse sanctuary. It will be from 12:00-3:00 pm at Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue’s Educational Barn, 93 Merchants Path off Sagg Rd, behind Wolffer Vineyard, Sagaponack. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Amaryllis Horse Sanctuary! In case you don’t know, Amaryllis Farm has rescued 90 horses from the glue factory and is devoted to educating the public about horses. Best thing is if you go to the fair you can actually meet some of the lucky horses. 631-537-7335 www.HamptonsHorseRescue.com.

Finally some news about the real estate market and another tale to reassure you that you really do know more than most of those financial whizzes on Wall Street. An oceanfront house on Meadow Lane in Southampton Village, seized by the federal government after its owner was indicted for fraud, was sold recently for $25.9 million. It’s the highest closing price for a house in the Hamptons in nearly a year.

To get some perspective on the allegeed financial genius’s financial acumen. The house, which sits on 2 acres off Southampton’s posh Meadow Lane, was purchased for $27 million in December 2008 by James Nicholson(Mini-Madoff). Almost immediately after the purchase, Mr. Nicholson re-listed it for $34 million. In early spring, Nicholson was arrested on federal fraud charges for allegedly falsifying financial records of several hedge funds he operated. In case your bad at math… it sold for a less than what he paid for it… and about 10 million less than what he thought it was worth. Ohhhhh… can I give him my money!!!??? But just remember he hasn’t been convicted… so it may all be one big misunderstanding. Meanwhile… the real Madoff’s house has just gone on the market. Here’s a video tour of the rather simple oceanfront home!

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8457955